AEW elite and tag team visionaries, the Young Bucks have carved out a lasting spot in pro wrestling
AEW elite and tag team visionaries, the Young Bucks have carved out a lasting spot in pro wrestling
A look back at the original All In from 2018–and a look forward from the Young Bucks
The Week in Wrestling is published every week and provides beneath the surface coverage of the business of pro wrestling.
Matthew Jackson on the original All In main event: “I remember the referee yelling, ‘We’re gonna go to black!’”
The Young Bucks are the reigning AEW tag team champions, and the next title defense for Matthew and Nicholas Jackson takes place tonight on the “Grand Slam” edition of Dynamite.
Original members of the company as Executive Vice Presidents, positions they still hold, the Bucks helped lay the blueprint for All Elite Wrestling when they oversaw the industry-altering All In in the summer of 2018.
The creation of All In initially stood as a far-fetched concept. Years later, a look at the collection of stars from the original All In resembles the current AEW roster. Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada were both on the card, as were Hangman Page, Britt Baker, and MJF (who has continued to exceed any and all expectations after losing that night to Matt Cross, who is best known for his run on Lucha Underground).
The Bucks wrestled that night in a time-crunched main event, teaming with Kota Ibushi in a star-studded encounter against Fénix, Bandido, and the legendary Rey Mysterio.
“The couple of years leading to All In and the time surrounding the event itself were my favorite ones in wrestling,” said Matthew Jackson. “It was such an exciting time. There was a groundswell of momentum that you could just feel. We really felt like we were making a difference as we went from town to town. The fans who followed our every move matched the passion we had. The feeling I would have after a show, speaking to the audience who would hang on to our every word, made me feel like eternal life was a possibility.
“All In was a gathering and celebration for all of us misfit wrestlers and wrestling fans who wanted to get together and throw one large party under one roof. It was the closest I’d felt to a religious experience outside of a church. The idea of fitting that many people into one building did seem a bit far-fetched, but the timing for even the possibility was too ideal so we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Besides, at the time, it felt like anything we touched would turn to gold, so maybe it’d work out? Luckily, it did.”
Backstage at All In in 2018
The card was outrageous, effectively laying a foundation for AEW, which came into creation only months later with Tony Khan leading the way. And this marked a seminal night in wrestling history. Without the original All In, which is a night where current WWE champion Cody Rhodes played an integral role (defeating Nick Aldis for the NWA title during the show, as well as doing a masterful job promoting the event and ensuring it ran smoothly), AEW would be missing a critical piece of its origin.
“We recently revisited the Now Arena [formerly the Sears Centre Arena, where All In was held] for a show and immediately a bunch of memories came rushing back into my brain,” said Jackson. “Nicholas and I shared a laugh, reminiscing about the race to the finish line.”
Originally slated to run for nearly 30 minutes, the main event came crashing to a sudden end just before the 12-minute mark. That was the beauty of this event–there was a do-it-yourself feel that was entirely different from what WWE was presenting. It also led to some chaos in the ring, occasionally mirroring what was happening backstage–especially when Mysterio was nowhere to be found when his music hit.
“The night had run a bit heavy and the production team was scrambling,” said Jackson. “We were told our 25-plus minute main event would have to be cut down by more than half. We immediately started trying to come up with things to cut. In the midst of the chaos, Rey Mysterio’s theme music was playing, but apparently there was no Rey Mysterio. We took it upon ourselves to race down the hallway to his locker room to investigate what was going on. Apparently nobody had smartened up Rey that his music was looping, so he quickly threw on his mask and sprinted to the entrance.
“We were in complete panic, already running late, but this production error cost us even more time. In the match, between all of the different wrestlers, we had multiple language barriers, but we somehow managed to communicate enough together to get on the same page. Apparently in the back, everybody was certain that the show was going to end abruptly and go to black like The Sopranos series finale, as time just continued to evaporate.”
Fortunately, there was a finish in place. The Bucks and Ibushi were going to team up and get the winning pinfall on Bandido, a seemingly flawless plan–until it unraveled.
“We tried to go home early with a More Bang For Your Buck combination with Kota Ibushi, but Rey Fénix broke up the pin,” said Jackson. “We couldn’t believe it. I remember the referee yelling, ‘We’re gonna go to black! You have like 20 seconds!’ So we rapidly went into a Meltzer Driver and made the fall within seconds. Nicholas and I sat there almost in disbelief and immediately started laughing and sighing in relief. I remember at first both of us being upset that our big moment was so rushed, but minutes later we filled the ring with family and friends, and we quickly remembered this show was much bigger than just a wrestling match.”
The All In event was resurrected last year after Khan bought Ring of Honor, which owned the footage and intellectual property. This summer, for a second straight year, it was held in London at Wembley Stadium. Even though Omega was not on the card–he is recovering from diverticulitis–and Rhodes is now in WWE, the Bucks still think of their friends at All In.
The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes/All In
“Naturally, in the days leading to the event, we’re sent old videos and pictures of the original show by fans, so it’s impossible to not think back about that time,” said Jackson. “AEW cut together a short documentary and wanted to use some old [Being The Elite] footage of that weekend, so I went back and watched a lot of stuff. It’s almost like watching old childhood Christmas videos in a way. Many similar thoughts popped into my head. ‘We were so young!’ and ‘Man, we had no clue what was in store next!’ Of course, Cody and Kenny were both so instrumental to that first event, so you can’t not think of them.”
This year, the Bucks departed All In–and the ensuing show at All Out–as champions. Their three-way at All In stood as a reminder of their eternal chemistry with FTR, as well as allowed a platform for The Acclaimed to shine.
“You don’t have chemistry with every single team you touch, but when you do, it’s an undeniable feeling,” said Jackson. “FTR, they are the best at what they do. No other team moves around more confidently than them. And they’re idea-men. They’re always thinking and coming up with new ways to hurt you. Everything they do is believable.
FTR and the Bucks remain eternal rivals/AEW
“The Acclaimed are charismatic showmen who dazzle and entertain. But I think everybody got to see a new aggressive side of them during Blood & Guts. They were hungry in that match, and they earned a lot of respect from their peers in that showing. We wrestled them during Covid in 2020, and both of us made note how far they’ve come.”
Will The Acclaimed be the team to dethrone the Bucks?/AEW
Shortly after All In, the Bucks defeated the team of Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli at All Out. The match provided a new opportunity to marvel at the brilliance of Castagnoli, who many inside wrestling–both in AEW and WWE–believe is the most talented professional in the industry.
“Claudio has ice water in his veins and the best cardio in the game,” said Jackson. “I’m not sure I’ve ever been in the ring with someone more sure of themself. He just radiates confidence. So it can be a bit intimidating competing against a man who doesn’t ever really get tired, who’ll take your legs out from underneath you and spin you around twenty times all while smiling ear to ear.”
Claudio Castagnoli working his magic/AEW
The Bucks teamed with Kazuchika Okada last week on Dynamite in a losing effort against Will Ospreay, Konosuke Takeshita, and Kyle Fletcher, which helped set up tonight’s tag title bout against Ospreay and Fletcher. Jackson was asked if he sees parallels between Ospreay and Omega, who were often compared to one another in New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
“They’re both very alike,” said Jackson. “They’ve both got that sudden explosiveness that most athletes don’t have. It’s scary because they’ll hit you with something but before you can even react to it, they’ve already got you locked up in the next move–and you’re about to go for a ride.
Will Ospreay has the Bucks’ attention/AEW
“When we first met Will many years ago, we called him a wrestling prodigy. He was young and inexperienced but so far ahead of everybody else. And it all came so easy to him. We’d whisper to each other about how he was probably going to end up being the best wrestler in the world one day, but how we couldn’t let him know that because we didn’t want that to go to a young man’s developing brain. We didn’t want to feed his ego [laughs]. Now, all these years later, and he’s clearly the best in-ring wrestler on the planet. And I’m not sure it’s even close.”
Ospreay/AEW
Despite his immense talent, Fletcher flies somewhat under the radar in AEW. That is understandable considering he is often beside Ospreay–yet he has repeatedly proven he is tremendous in the ring. The prospect of Ospreay, the Bucks, and Fletcher working a 15-to-20-minute match later tonight is a very exciting prospect for wrestling fans.
Fletcher and Ospreay/AEW
“Fletcher is fantastic,” said Jackson. “He is one to watch. He’s picked up the TV wrestling style so quickly and effortlessly. Wrestling him is intimidating in the same way it was when we first met and worked with a young, sharp Adam Cole or Kyle O’Reilly type. Like that feeling of, ‘We better have our working boots on tonight or this kid is going to lap us out there.’ So, it definitely keeps us on our toes and makes us stay young.”
Fletcher/AEW
Another highlight in last week’s match was the building tension between Okada and Takeshita. While fellow Elite member Jack Perry fell short in his pursuit of the world title at All Out, The Elite still features Okada, who is the current Continental Champion. The longtime face of New Japan, it feels inevitable that Okada will eventually be crowned AEW champ.
“I feel like Okada is definitely a future world champion and it would elevate the title to new heights,” said Jackson. “Nobody does big matches better than him. Nobody has more aura than him. If I need someone out there who has to follow a four-hour show, I’m sending Okada out there every time.”
Kazuchika Okada/AEW
Nicholas Jackson also praised Okada, explaining he raises the bar every time he faces increased stakes.
“There was one time we saw Okada yawn before a big match at the [Tokyo] Dome,” said Nicholas Jackson. “He’s the best, and he doesn’t get nervous for anything. It’s been so much fun working with him these last several months. There’s no one better.”
Beyond tonight’s tag title bout, there is much to look forward to in AEW, beginning with the five-year anniversary of Dynamite on October 2. For a half-decade, that has stood as the promotion’s flagship show, embedding a quintessential element into professional wrestling: competition.
“I can’t believe it’s already been five years,” said Jackson. “I remember during the first couple of years, we’d sit by Tony in the Gorilla position and watch every week as the show open hit. We were almost in disbelief. ‘Wow, we really did make a wrestling show!’
“Dynamite and the existence of AEW has created a much healthier economy for all of the people in the wrestling business. So many of us have been blessed with the ability to provide for ourselves and our families for years to come. I don’t think that can be considered a bad thing to anyone, no matter who you’re a fan of. Dynamite has given fans of a specific taste their weekly hit of dopamine. Dynamite has given wrestlers a large platform to express themselves creatively.”
Matthew and Nicholas Jackson/AEW
Whether it was in the indies, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Ring of Honor, or even their own promotion they ran as teenagers, the Bucks have a long and distinguished history of embracing new challenges. Taking on pro wrestling’s juggernaut in WWE is forever part of their story, and Jackson was asked if he sees it as a compliment that NXT is loading up on WWE stars when it goes head-to-head with AEW on Tuesday, October 8.
“Absolutely,” said Jackson. “Competition breeds excellence. One thing I actually kind of miss is when we’d battle it out weekly on Wednesday nights. It was exciting, seeing who would have the better night. It makes you feel more alive.”
Finally, with a lucrative new media rights deal nearly in place for AEW, Jackson commented on the future of the promotion–which is especially relevant after so many pundits have prematurely stated that the end is near.
“People have been predicting our demise since Hangman flipped his phone over and showed the world the AEW logo on that special Being The Elite episode,” said Jackson. “People have been rooting against my brother and me, specifically, our entire lives. But I don’t know if we’d know what to do with ourselves if we didn’t have that chip on our shoulders. It’s kind of all we know.
“I have learned though, that you can keep proving the doubters wrong, they’ll just continue to move the goal post. It’s a fool’s errand if you think you’ll ever change their minds. So let it fuel you all you want. Let it inspire you. But don’t think they’re all of a sudden going to have that lightbulb moment and admit they’re wrong. That’s never going to happen. They’ll find a new thing to claim against you. They’ll continue to engagement farm. They’ll continue to parrot silly nicknames from shock-jock grifters.
“Just win for yourself and let history speak for itself. With more unprecedented success comes even more noise.”
This past week…
… Jey Uso won the Intercontinental title, closing out Raw in style with a victory against Bron Breakker.
… The segment featuring Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns this past Friday on SmackDown was spectacular. To me, this has to be the frontrunner for WrestleMania main event–again.
… Who will challenge Nia Jax for the WWE Women’s Championship–Bayley or Naomi? Or is it time to crown Tiffany Stratton?
… The new Vince McMahon series on Netflix is available, and McMahon and his team are already running interference on how he is portrayed. The report that McMahon/WWE attempted to buy the rights from Netflix should come as no surprise, but it will be interesting to see if Netflix is critical of WWE only months before beginning their long-term deal.
… The last time Nigel McGuinness wrestled a singles match, it was 2011. His wrestling career is now an afterthought to his work as a broadcaster. It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way–but McGuinness returns to the ring to wrestle Bryan Danielson for the AEW world title tonight on Dynamite.
Even if it is short term, Jey Uso winning the IC title is the right call
Jey Uso/WWE
It didn’t work in Bron Breakker’s favor to be on the same brand as Gunther.
Both Breakker and Gunther won championship gold in August at SummerSlam. Gunther defeated Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight Championship, starting what appears to be a lengthy, dominant run as champ. Breakker won the Intercontinental title when he split Sami Zayn in half, and it appeared he would also be afforded the opportunity to have a significant run with the belt.
But Breakker didn’t even last two months as champ.
That isn’t cause for concern. Only 26, Breakker has the potential to play a key role for WWE over the next decade. Despite that bright future, it was the right call to have him drop the belt.
Breakker running through opponents isn’t all that different from Gunther’s storyline. And with Jey Uso red hot, the decision was made to have Uso win the IC title this past Monday on Raw. It capped off a compelling match–one that instantly stands out as the most meaningful of Uso’s career, better than his SummerSlam ’23 bout against Roman Reigns (which ran too long) and his WrestleMania 40 match against Jimmy Uso (an encounter that never hit that elusive next level).
Uso is a rare caliber of performer. After more than a decade of teaming with his brother Jimmy and building The Usos into an enormous success, he is now known as a star in singles wrestling. It’s happened before, but not often–especially for someone who was in a tag team as long as Uso.
Why not give Uso a run as IC champ? If it doesn’t work, he has The Bloodline reunion story awaiting him. If it does work, then this is another step in his ongoing upward trajectory. And don’t feel bad for Breakker–he’s too talented to allow this to stunt his growth. He’d have been a better fit as IC champ on SmackDown, where he would be a contrast to WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, but there will be plenty more title runs for Breakker.
Wrestling is all about timing. Finally, it is Jey Uso’s time.
Tweet of the Week
https://x.com/Austin_Medzz/status/1838744830924542368
Had this happened, I would have been fascinated to see how the show–appropriately named Hot Ones–explained the change from wings to grilled salmon strips.